Shutter for sound-proof boxes.



R. HOPE-JONES.

SHUTTER FOR SOUND PROOF BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1910. 1, 1 1 0,441 Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

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ROBERT HOPE-J ONES, OF NORTH TONAWANDA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 RUDOLPH WURLITZER MFG. COMPANY, 015' NQBTH TQNAWANDA, NEW YORK, ,A. CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK. I

SHUTTER FOR SOUND-PROOF BOXES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT Horn-J ONES, of North Tonawanda, in the county of N iagara' and State of New York, have in-. vented certain new and useful Improvements in Shutters for Sound-Proof Boxes; and I do hereby declarethe followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the speci' fication, and to the reference numerals marked thereon. 1

My invention has. for its object to provide a sound proof box or room having a closure adapted to be used as an entrance or exit door or employed as a means for controlling the volume of the sound emitted from the closure, said parts being so constructed that sound proof joints are formed between the walls of the room and the closure when the latter is shut, which efl'ectually prevents the outward passage of the sound waves created in the air of the room. My invention also relates to the art of organ building and particularly the means employed for controlling and regulating the power or volume of the tone furnished by the sound-producing devices, such as a rank of organpipes, and my invention has for its further object to provide certain improvements' in the doors or shutters, a plurality of which may be adapted to cooperate to closethe box or room in which the soundproducing devices are located, said shutters eing so constructed that the escape of any sound waves originating within the box is prevented.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view of an organ swell box showing the shutters thereof constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig; 2 is an enlarged face view of a shutter; Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sectional views taken on the lines 3 8 and 4;"4= of Fig. 9.; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, and Figs 6 and 7- are enlarged detail views showing the meeting edges of two shutters in different positions; Fig. 8 is a detail view of a modification, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

Application filed August 5, 1910. Serial No. 575,630.

Fig. 9 is a detail view showing another arrangement of the parts which embody my 1nventi0n'.

My invention is adapted to be used in con nection with the doors employed as closures for rooms or receptacles, such as telephone booths, organ swell boxes or the like, in which sounds are produced and from which it is desired to prevent such sounds from passing exteriorly of the room, and likewise preventing noises from entering the inclosure.

I11 illustrating one embodiment of my invention I have shown it incorporated in the shutters of an organ swell box which, it will be understood, may be employed as a container for any sound-producing apparatus, such as a rank of pipes illustrated in Fig. 1.

The box proper, it will be understood,

may be constructed in any desired shape,

and size, and comprises the walls 1 having an open top or side, the opening in which is regulated by the shutters. The walls 1 are deadened'to make the box or room substantially sound proof or as near to being proof against the transmission of sound waves as may be required according to the by the sound-producers to be regulated to enable the operator to obtain the desired variety of expression.

I have discovered that in attempts hitherto made to imprison sound, serious loss of efiiciency has occurred because of the necessarily loose fitting of the joints between the shutters, or between the edges of the doors and casing, or edges of the walls, which must be provided to allow these parts to operate with perfect freedom, the sound waves pass through these joints with more or less freedom, as it ispractically impossible to make them tight fitting throughout, and it is likewise difficult to maintain the joints in this condition after the shutters or doors have been subjected to service. This is due partly to the fact that it is customary to make them of wood which shrinks and swells under atmospheric changes, and also to the size and weight of the parts, the wearing of the bearings on which the shutters are journaled and their natural tendency to warp.

My invention has for its object to overcome these difliculties and to providea type of shutter which will render the joints between the shutters and the casing sound proof, even though considerable space remains between the joints when adjacent edges are brought into juxtaposition and also to provide'adoor or shutterwhich will dotted lines in Fig. 2, of any desired dimensions .comprising the longitudinally extendings'ide pieces 4, and the end pieces 5 con-. necting them carrying the :trunnions-G. Extending transversely between the side pieces 4 are strengthening ribs arranged in :pairs, and indicated by 7 and 8. "The frame thus formed is overlaid with the face plates 9 and 10, forminga chamber within the frame.

Theredges of the face platesextend beyond the side edges of the frames, as indicated at 9 and 10, and also beyond the ends of the frame, as indicated at 9 and 10. Between.

these extensions of the face plates are arranged the ribs 11 projecting outwardly from the sides or rails 4 of the frame and similar ribs 12 are formed on the end pieces 5. Any convenient :number of these ribsmay be employed, their purpose :being to provide the shutter with surrounding grooves or channels, such as (1,1) and 0,those on theedgesiof one shutter beingadaptedto correspond with similar channels in the edge I of the vadjacent shutter. The .edges :of the walls or the casing are also grooved, .as indicated at m in Fig. 1, which correspond to the grooves in 'the corresponding edges and endsof the shutter. The ribs 12 at the ends of the shutters are preferably inclined at a slight angle in a directiontoward the inner side of the swell box, and insome instances those on the edges of the shutter may be' similarly inclined, but this is not as .a rule required, as I prefer to bevel .the edges of. the shutter in the manner shown, in orders that their meeting edges may :be revolved into and out of engagement, .as will be .understood, and when brought into contact will limit the rotary movement of the shutters. V

The ribs 7 and '8 before referred to, are

preferably arranged in pairs, one edge of each being in alinement with aside of the frame to support one of the face plates,: their other edges being cutaway, as indi cated at 7 and 8, so that theyfare not in contact with both walls of .the shutter, thus 2 .tion in :the volume of the sound passing preventing the transmission of vibrations from one wall to the other. A shutter constructed in this manner is preferably made of metal, the frame being cast and the side pieces 9 and 10 being plates cemented, soldered or welded thereto to make an air tight casing from which the air may be exhausted to completely deaden the shutter.

The operation of shutters, constructed in this-manner, in interceptin the sound waves can'best be comprehended rom the enlarged detail views 6 and 7, the first showing the meeting edges of the doors in the position they occupy when only partly opened or separated, the second illustrating them in closed position. As the meeting edges of the shutters revolve toward each other, they gradually approach and after the inner face of one has :passed the-outer face of the other, the opening between them rapidly decreases and asthey move toward each other a slot is formed between them from each side of which are the laterally extending pockets or chambers formed by the grooves a, b and 0, provided in the .edges of the shutter. Sound waves traveling in the direction of the arrow d will in entering the space between the edges of the ribs 10 and 11 expand into the recesses cc and 6, Where they will lose someof their power. In their continuedoutward travel they will next pass between the edges of ribs 11-41 and again expand into the-chambers a and b.

It will vbe seen that sound waves attempting to escape between the adjacent edges of 1 two shutters, or between one e e of a shutterand the casing, will be required to force their way through .a slot which is made of a plurality of restrictions alternating with laterally extending enlargements or chambers. A passage of this shape permits the air vibrations carrying the sound waves to expand or flow laterally, as they emerge minimizing the volume of sound emitted when :the shutters are partly closed. Another theory which may explain ,the reducbetween the grooved or chambered surfaces when the shutters are only partly closed, is

: that the sound waves entering between the edges of the shutters set up counter vibrations in the .air in the chambers between the 1 longitudinal :ribs and that these counter vibrations serve to destroy those portions of the sound waves or the vibrations which are traveling in the thin sheet of air in the main portion or body of the slot.

The volume of sound conveyed by the sound waves produced in the air is controlled by the adjustment of the shutters and by reason of the construction of their edges the sound waves will be entirely out off when the edges of the shutters are brought into proximity as shown in Fig. 7 even when they are not brought into actual contact. In fact experience demonstrates that when the meeting edges of the doors or shutters are constructed in this manner, ample clearance space may be provided to allow the parts to work with perfect freedone without impairing their efliciency in preventing the passage of the sound waves.

In carrying out my invention I preferably form the lateral edges of the casing adjacent the ends of the shutters with grooves and likewise groove the top and bottom edges of said casing, as before mentioned. The size and shape of the grooves may be altered according to conditions and in instances where it is desired to make the doors overlap the edgesof their cooperating casings, or the shutters overlap at their edges, theirvmeeting edges may be made as shown in the modification illustrated in Fig. 8. In this construction instead of employing ribs, such as previously described, the edges of the shutter are grooved longitudinally to form a series of steps, the grooves in the cooperating parts forming the expansion chambers 2', j and k, which extend at each side of the slot which is formed as the shutters approach each other.

In carrying out my invention it is by no means essential that the grooves or chambers in the doors and casing and in the meeting edges of two doors or shutters be in alinement with each other as I have demonstrated in practice that these may be located so as to be out of alinement, as illustrated in Fig. 9. If desired they may also be inclined, as shown in this figure of the drawings, but when so arranged it is preferable to incline them so that their open ends project in a direction toward the source of the sound which it is desired to interrupt or muffle. It will be noticed, however, that in this con struction the grooves or chambers project at opposite sides of the slot formed between the meeting or cooperating edges of the shutters, as in the other forms previously described, and although they are not in alinement where the meeting edges of the shutters are brought into juxtaposition they cooperate in dissipating the sound waves passing between two of such edges.

A considerable advantage is obtained in makingthe shutters for organ swell boxes in the manner described as the hermetic cell permits the shutters to be made hollow and comparatively light in weight so that they may be operated easily and rapidly without employing powerful machinery to move them. The exhausting of the air from the cells or interiorof the doors or shutters themselves is advantageous in itself as it lessens the liability of the vibratory action set up in the shutters themselves by heavy sound waves directed against their inner faces being reproduced in less magnitude from the outer faces of the shutters, and also permits the door or shutter to be made comparatively thin, thus reducing its weight.

;I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an organ swell boxhaving an opening, of a plurality of movable shutters controlling the opening each provided with edges adapted to cooperate with those of adjacent shutters, said edges of the shutters being each formed with a plurality of alternately disposed ribs and shallow recesses.

The combination with an inclosure having an opening, the edges of the inclosure surrounding the opening being provided with alternately disposed ribs and recesses, of a closure fitting said opening having its edges similarly provided with alternately disposed ribs and recesses, said closure cooperating with the inclosure so that when it is in closed position the edges of the ribs of the closure engagethe edges of the corresponding ribs of the inclosure.

3. The combination with an inclosure having an opening, the edges of the inclosure surrounding the opening being provided with a plurality of grooves, of a closure for the opening having a plurality of grooves provided in its edges and cooperating with the first mentioned grooves to provide a plurality of enlarged recesses between said parts when the closure is in closed position.

4. The combination with a box which is substantially sound proof having the walls provided with an opening, of a plurality of pivoted shutters for closing the opening, said shutters being provided along their meeting edges with a plurality of alternately disposed ribs and recesses said ribs and re cesses of adjacent shutters being adapted to cooperate when the shutters are closed to form a plurality of separated expansion chambers.

5. The combination with an organ swell box having the walls provided with an opening, of a plurality of pivoted shutters for closing the opening having their meeting edges beveled, said edges being provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves spaced apart, those in one shutter cooperating with those in the other to form expansion chambers at opposite sides of the meeting line of the shutters.

6. In an organ swell box, the combination with the walls having an opening the edges of the latter being grooved, of a plurality of pivoted shutters having surrounding channels in their edges, said channels in each the side and end rails and ribs projecting.

outwardly from said frame, of face plates overlying opposite sides of the frame, their ends and edges projecting beyond the rails of the frame and cooperating with the ribs thereon to form channels surrounding the shutter.

9. In a closure for boxes which are substantially sound proof, the combination with an open frame comprising side and end rails, ribs projecting outwardly from said frame and transversely extending ribs each having one edge only in alinement with the face of the frame, of face plates arranged on opposite sides of the frame and supported between their ends by said transverse ribs.

10. In a closure for boxes which are substantially sound 'proof, the combination'with an open frame comprising side and end rails, ribs projecting outwardly from said frame and transversely extending ribs arranged in pairs, their opposite edges being flush with the opposite faces of said frame, of face plates overlying the opposite faces of the frame and having their edges projecting and cooperating with the projecting ribs to form channels in the edges of the shutter.

11. In a closure for boxes which are substantially sound proof, the combination with an open frame comprising side and end rails and a rib projecting from said frame, of face plates secured to the opposite sides of the frame and forming a closed chamber, the sides and ends of the face plates projecting beyond the frame and cooperating with the rib thereon to form channels which surround the shutter.

ROBERT HOPE-J ONES. lVitnesses:

F. W. GRIMES, EUGENE F. LICOME.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

